A Walk In Dam Busters Country16 July 2006

By Chris Massey

On a hot July Sunday seven members set off from a lay-by near Fairholmes (off the Snake road). We walked below the huge wall of the Derwent reservoir where the Dam Busters tested the bouncing bomb in the desperate days of 1943.

For a while, we strolled along the East bank of the reservoir and then steadily climbed up to Derwent Edge with the view expanding at every step. The climb was quite a sweat and we stopped for lunch near Cakes of Bread rocks with a splendid panorama over the reservoirs to Win Hill, Mam Tor, the Kinder plateau and beyond.

Over lunch a theory was expressed that in a group the average of individual estimates is accurate. Everybody estimated the distance walked so far and the average pretty well proved the theory but I wouldn't risk my life on it!

It was boiling as we dropped down towards Ladybower reservoir with ghostly memories of Derwent & Ashopton villages which were drowned in 1943.

Until about 1985 the church spire sometimes appeared when the waters fell in summer but it was demolished to eliminate the temptation for Saturday night boaters. We walked along a lane with the few remaining buildings of the old village and finally had welcome refreshments sitting in the shade at the Yorkshire Bridge Inn.

It was a splendid walk and many thanks to David Taylor for guiding us along.